Whiskey's Echoes
by oOKayleeOo
Summary: What happened to Clair when the the memory drug was exposed to members in the house?
1. Prelude

Clare never really considered why there was no Whiskey. It wasn't so much that the thought didn't cross her mind. Quite contra, it would, from time to time. Most often as she went over her active assessments and noted the missing member. Whiskey died during the Alfa incident. And the thought would pass. Claire tried very hard never to think about the Alfa incident.

And even as the young doctor saw the defective active ask ever so politely to let Echo be number one, the thought barely crossed her mind


	2. Chapter 1

"Topher," Clair wasn't comfortable in Topher's office. He was everywhere in it. The doctor knew that it didn't make sense to say that someone was 'everywhere' in a room. But the taste of him was all over it. Toys, discarded soda cans and pizza boxes littered on the couch and the fridge in the corner. It reaked of him. The whole room. That disgusting almost slickly sweet sent from too much candy in his system. Taste aside, communication was necessary for the holistic care of the actives, which came first as far as Claire was concerned. And right this moment she needed to communicate with Topher about Victor and his dire need for an altruistic engagement. As no one read the files she so careful filled, she was forced to take more direct measures.

She looked up from the spot on the carpet she'd been staring at since she entered. A non-immediate response was unusual for the frustratingly active young man. "Uh...Topher?" Her brow furrowed with confused revulsion as Topher walked up to greet her. Hair messier than usual and rather under dressed. "Do I even want to know why you're in your underwear?"

Topher grinned, spreading his arms in welcome. "Ah," He said, smiling a little wider than usual, obviously pleased to see the disapproving woman in the lab coat. "Company. Great. Wonderful." The neuro expert looked oddly hopeful, "Do you have any starch?"

Claire's blankly confused expression was further exasperated when Adel popped her head up from behind a table. "We've eaten all the bad ones." The very dishevelled English woman informed.

Her eyes narrowed as she tried to draw a conclusion as to what she'd missed. Something important, obviously. "I...I'm going to come back later." Claire stated, taking a backwards step towards the stairs.

Topher took those last few steps necessary to reach over and put both open palms down on the very uncomfortable doctor's shoulders. Staring her very seriously in the eye. "You do a very good job. You actually like them." He grinned. "I mean seriously, who actually likes them?" He laughed. Claire shrugged him off, repulsed. Disgusted that this was happening. That was Adel was here, letting this happen.

"I'm going to come back later." Clair said more forcefully as she headed back down the hall towards the stairs. "When you're both over whatever it is you're clearly on." She said sharply over her shoulder as she stormed back towards the safety of her own office.


	3. Chapter 2

Claire was furious as she entered her office, picking up Victor's file, flipping through it and placinging it back on her massive desk. Furiously.

"My arm hurts." Claire looked up from the pile of folders she had lovingly filled to the active at the door. "My arm hurts." Sierra said again, right hand placed comfortingly over an obviously bruised left shoulder.

"She hurt it during enagement." Informed her new handler Rain, leading the doll into the office and towards the examination table. "I don't think it's serious, but you know procedures." The handler shrugged.

The doctor let out a frustrated huff, "a least some people do." She muttered softly to herself.

"Pardon?"

"How did she do it?" Clair said instead, giving Sierra's shoulder a quick preliminary.

"Bodyguard. She took down two armed mercs." Rain answered, clearly proud of the doll sitting on the table.

"I try to be my best." Sierra told her, displaying that on some level she was following the conversation. Claire made a mental to note that down later.

"I know you do." Claire smiled as she tested flexability. For some reason it made her think of a tree. A bonsaii, though why she'd think of that, Claire had no idea. She shook her head to clear her mind.

"You alright?"

Clair took a long blink, "yeah, I've just got a bit of a head ache," she informed distractedly, reaching over to her table for a lollypop and looking over to the handler. "She should be fine. Just some bruising, give her a few days and Sierra should be fine." Claire turned back to the doll with the cherry lollypop, "perhaps a massage would help with the pain?" she prompted kindly.  
"Massages are relaxing." The doll replied, getting down off the table, smiling at her handler as she left the room. Claire watched her go.

And sissors. Why was she thinking of sissors.

"Thanks doc."

"Yes, thankyou." Claire rubbed her temple. It didn't make sense. Wanting Rain to leave, Claire turned away and began writing her report on Sierra. Stating that yet again her request to have actives with a higher muscle mass to be utilized in bodyguard type engagements when possible had been ignored. Because no one read the files. Rain shook her head, only Claire or maybe Topher could get away with this kind of behavour.

"Good luck with the headache." Rain commented with a dismissive as she walked out.


	4. Chapter 3

Claire didn't even acknowledge them leaving, head down and focused on the tasks at hand. Documentation. Claire reached across the desk and picked up a silver pen. Her eyes narrowed the instant her hand clasped the cool metallic object. Something. It reminded her of something. She tried to place it. A feeling more than a thought. Almost a memory. Like the memory of a sent.

Scissors.

Clair gasped as pain ran through her like a fire. The woman cried out and staggered blindly backwards. Tripping over her chair and falling unceremoniously to the floor backing up until her back found the solid comfort of the wall. Hands tracing her scars as if they were fresh. Felling out their pattern as if they were new. Carefully, tear blinded she assessed her hands. There should be blood. Drowning in it. Claire could feel the warm fluid. Feel the cool, sharp, surgical precision of soulless blades as they cut away at her.

_Let Echo be number one. _The words weren't just in her mind but everywhere. Just as real as the blood. So much blood everywhere and pain. Like a knife. But it wasn't right. This wasn't how the story went. But why…did it feel so much realer. There was something wrong. Something wrong with Claire. A bonsai and a smiling face. Claire let out a whimper and covered her face, trying to stop the pain, the constant slashing.

Claire shuddered. The wave of pain had somewhat passed for the moment, and for a second the woman became aware of her surroundings. No scissors or trees or smiling faces of dead men. Claire wrapped her arms around herself in vein attempt at comfort. Knees tucked tightly before her. Vaguely, the doctor took note that she'd somehow lost a shoe. She stared vacantly at the desk, her mind too exhausted to make sense of what was happening. _Let Echo be number one. _But Echo was number one. Echo had always been number one. Since Echo arrived she had been number one. Claire's breaths were short and sharp. Close to panic. The doctor shut her eyes and took in some deep breaths.

_You're being ridiculous. _She scolded herself. Reaching out for a nearby shelf for some support as she made a shaky attempt at standing. _Alfa is dead. Alfa is dead. You're being ridiculous. _The mantra was something she often repeated to herself and those around her when the compost event was mentioned. It made her feel slightly better….slightly…more in control.

Once she got her balance she reached out gingerly for her other shoe. Having to grab twice before pulling it back and sliding it back on. She could still feel the cuts deep and weeping. _Alfa is dead. You're being ridiculous. _But it wasn't ringing true. Not anymore. She could see him right in front of her. Across the table and the tiny trees smiling so serenely '_Let Echo be number one'. _Claire did the only thing she could do. She screamed.

And screamed.

And screamed.

Author's Note: _Sorry for the delay in posting, my computer was wiped and I am having to re-locate or in the case of this story rewrite a lot of my old work._

Author's Other Note:  _Please REVIEW! I can't improve my skills unless directed!_


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